Former Australian football family welcomes a baby boy

Former Australian footballer Anthony Stevens and wife Kelli welcomed their second child, River, last week. The couple is rebuilding their relationship and family after a very public breakup back in 2002 when Kelli was discovered having an affair with Anthony’s best friend and team mate.

River, who joins big sister Ayva, 5, was born at the Freemasons Hospital, Melbourne, weighing 3.7kg. Anthony reveals that "A lot of the boys keep telling me I’ve still got time to change the name…but it’s starting to grow on me…I wasn’t sure about the name Ayva at first, but after hearing a few other kids with the name, I think it really suits her."

I love the name River! Unlike a lot of ‘weird’ celebrity baby names, it’s actually a name, and it can be used for either gender. I like to think of the sound of it apart from being a noun.

I agree with Lorus, it sounds like he didn’t choose the names. I suppose Ayva is supposed to be like Ava, just a different spelling?

mary sianidis
on July 11th, 2006

anthony steves is an australian rules player. plays for north melbourne football club – he is not a soccer player.
his wife kelli did have an affair with the captain of the north melboure captain wayne carey.

Yes, Mary is right, Anthony Steven’s is NOT a soccer player. He played AFL football but which is nothing like ‘the beautiful game’ of soccer. He was captain of the North Melbourne Kangaroos after Wayne Carey left because of an affair with Anthony Stevens wife.

Thank you Mary and Threeminutepalaver, I’m aware Anthony Stevens plays AFL – I use to be a sports reporter for this code!
Since Aussie Rules isn’t known internationally, football was accidentally translated as soccer.